One Kitchen, Many Cultures

fried shrimp

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Seafood

Classic Island Pepper Shrimp.

4 Comments on Classic Island Pepper Shrimp.

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Another Pepper Shrimp recipe Chris? Yea, it’s definitely one of my weaknesses when it comes to snacking. We’ve gone though about 4 different styles of pepper shrimp to date, but I must admit that this one is my absolute favorite. And to be quite honest, it’s not only super easy to make, it’s also super-quick to put together. On it’s own as a snack,  as a side to fried rice or stir fried noodles or on sandwiches, you’ll love this shrimp recipe. You can be the BOSS when it comes to how HOT you make it.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
2 scotch bonnet peppers
3 cloves garlic
3 scallions
2 cups veg oil (for frying)
2 tablespoon veg oil

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Peel, devein and wash the shrimp.Drain dry and coat with the black pepper, salt and corn starch.

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This will cook very fast, so I’d recommend preparing the other ingredients in advance. Finely chop the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers. Be mindful that if you include the seeds from the peppers it will increase the heat level and kindly do yourself a favor and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

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Heat the oil for ‘frying’ on medium/high. Since the shrimp is coated with the cornstarch they may tend to stick together. Fry for a minute or so and set aside. DON’T over cook!

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In a new pan heat the 2 tablespoons of veg oil on a very LOW heat and then go in with the other ingredients. We want to gently allow the flavors of the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet  to come together. Cook on low for 3-5 mins, then add the cooked shrimp and toss well to coat. Since it’s important that we don’t over-cook the shrimp, as they heat through you can take the pot off the stove.

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Serve warm for the best flavors.. if reheating, I’d recommend doing so in the oven and not a microwave. As mentioned above, this is my favorite pepper shrimp recipe to date and I’m very positive you’ll be a superstar when you serve this up with some cold beers.

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Seafood

Firecracker Shrimp Wantons Recipe.

4 Comments on Firecracker Shrimp Wantons Recipe.

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At a recent dinner party I was challenged by friends to come up with a firecracker shrimp recipe, but with a Caribbean twist. Being that “challenge” is my second name.. I’m very competitive, a few days later I was in the kitchen loaded with ingredients to take that firecracker shrimp we enjoyed to a whole new level. They were good, but missing were a herbal note and true Caribbean sunshine (heat). Don’t call something ‘firecracker’ when there’s no actual heat but the sort of vinegar based hot sauce they market in North America. According to a pardna..”dem thing juss sour!.. no real heat”.

You’ll Need…

12 large shrimp (cleaned / deveined)
12 wonton wrappers (or 6 spring roll wrappers)
2 cups veg oil for frying
1 to 2 tablespoon pepper sauce (sriracha if that is your thing)
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon white sugar

Tip: to straighten the shrimp (from natural curve) make 2 small cuts on the inside of the curve on the shrimp so they are easier to wrap and will not curl when you fry them.

After you’ve cleaned and de-veined the shrimp.. do leave on the tail ends for presentation and get ready to marinate. Add all the ingredients mentioned above except the veg oil and wrappers, mix well and marinate for 10 minutes.

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It’s now time to wrap up these into succulent little packages in the wonton wrappers and fry them till golden brown. If you’re using spring roll wrappers, which are considerably bigger than wonton wrappers, cut them in half  (in two triangles). To better understand the wrapping process it may be best if you watch the video below.  Basically  I dip my finger in the same marinade (you can use water) and run it along the edges of the wrapper so the moisture helps to seal it. Wrap each shrimp in the wrapper, with the tails exposed.

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Heat the oil on a medium heat in a wide pan, then gently add about 4-6 to the now hot oil. Please don’t crowd the pan. Takes about 3-5 minutes to fully cook, but do remember to flip them so they brown on all sides. Simply remove out of the oil, place on paper towels to drain off the extra oil and continue frying the rest.

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Try to serve warm to really get the rich flavors of the Caribbean bursting in your mouth as you tuck into them. I like serving it with a basic homemade peppers sauce!

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If you make these in advance, you can reheat them when your guests arrive in your oven on a low heat (do NOT microwave). If that is the plan, I would recommend not cooking them fully when you originally fry them as you don’t want to shrimp to go like rubber on you.

Back to the dinner party and the challenge.. I’ve noticed that since I’ve been getting a lot of recognition for my escapades in the kitchen through all forms of media and with the recent success of my cookbook.. people are scared to host me now. They’re intimated to have me eat anything they have cooked.

Seafood

Caribbean Style Popcorn Shrimp Recipe.

6 Comments on Caribbean Style Popcorn Shrimp Recipe.

After just one bite of Popeye’s popcorn shrimp many years ago I knew I had to find my own version of making this delicious snack. I needed something where I would control the ingredients used and as a son of the Caribbean soil, I knew it had to reflect our love for seafood and passion for rich flavors. But don’t take my word for it, give the recipe a test drive!

 

You’ll Need…

3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs (see note below)
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped finely)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
pinch teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Note: I like using crushed salted crackers instead of the bread crumbs.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp (Video demo how to peel and devein shrimp). Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt, crushed garlic, black pepper and finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper. Allow this to marinate for 10 minutes.

As the shrimp marinates, prepare the breading station. In a bowl place the bread crumbs (I like using crushed salted crackers as I find the texture and airiness is much better) , in another bowl you’ll have the flour and the final bowl you’ll whisk together the milk and egg.

Since these popcorn shrimp cooks very fast I suggest you bread all of them before you start frying. Each shrimp – dust in the flour, then the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumbs (you may need to press them down into the bread crumbs a bit) and set aside.

Basically all you have to do now is deep or shallow fry these until they are golden brown. With my flame on medium/high (oil hot) I gently placed each shrimp (do in 2 batches to not over-crowd the pan) and cooked them for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Fish them out and place on paper towels to try and absorb some of the excess oil.

Serve warm with some Caribbean pepper sauce or any sort of dip you like using. (top with some chopped parsley and lemon wedges to make the dish look even more appetizing)

There’s enough popcorn shrimp here for 5 people as a snack and the recipe can easily be doubled if needs be. One bite and you’ll never go back to Popeye’s or anywhere else that serves popcorn shrimp.

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